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Archive for Arizona attractions

We might be a little biased, but we’ve always thought that the city of Scottsdale is surrounded by some of the most beautiful wilderness in all of America. Unfortunately, visitors often miss out on the stunning vistas, the unique wildlife and the gorgeous sunsets, and all because their Arizona vacation rentals are so cozy. Hey, we understand. That desert heat makes it hard to leave the AC behind. But our advice is to drink up the scenery when you vacation in AZ, because you just can’t get it back home. Start with these parks, all within shouting distance of the Phoenix metro area, to see what makes life in Scottsdale so extraordinary.

Piestewa Peak Recreation Area. Climbing Piestewa Peak itself is a bit of a workout – but if you want to give it a go, the summit trail is just 2.5 miles round-trip, and you’ll gain over a thousand feet in elevation. If a more relaxed hike is your thing, there are miles of other trails to explore. You can wander through the Sonoran Desert and check out the wildlife at your own pace, enjoying the awesome vistas. Oh, and it’s all less than 10 miles from downtown Phoenix.

Thunderbird Conservation Park. Nature lovers won’t want to miss Thunderbird Conservation Park, which sits on almost 1,200 acres of pristine desert land on the outskirts of Glendale. Multiple trail options make it a great destination for recreational hikers or bikers, but there are also numerous picnic tables, bird-watching opportunities and scenic viewpoints. Thunderbird is jam-packed with animals, including jackrabbits, mule deer, bobcats, desert tortoises and roadrunners.

McDowell Mountain Regional Park. One of the best spots for mountain biking is just to the east of the city of Scottsdale. McDowell Mountain Regional Park features over 50 miles of multi-use trail that you can access via bike, horseback or on foot, and three loops are designed expressly for competitive mountain biking. Hikers can view the McDowell Mountains and the Verde River from all sorts of vantage points, and if you like camping, you can do that too.

We have two important tips for enjoying any of the parks near the city of Scottsdale. First, make sure to bring plenty of extra water and to stay hydrated – it’s important, especially during the summer. Second, watch out for potentially dangerous wildlife, especially rattlesnakes. Don’t worry about leaving the safety of our Arizona vacation rentals, though – a walking stick should be enough to deal with any pesky critters. It’ll give you the peace of mind you need to enjoy the outdoors when you vacation in AZ!

For over twenty years, architect Frank Lloyd Wright called the city of Scottsdale his winter home. His house, Taliesin West, remains one of the most unique and intriguing Scottsdale attractions to this day. It was designed by the master himself and is a designated National Historic Landmark, but this isn’t some stuffy old piece of history, and you won’t need to be an architect to appreciate the beauty of Wright’s desert dwelling. Here are three reasons to sign up for a guided tour of Taliesin West after you reserve one of our Phoenix vacation rentals.

It was a labor of love for America’s greatest architect. When Wright found the site that would become Taliesin West, just below McDowell Peak on the edge of the city of Scottsdale, he knew he was someplace special. Construction started in 1937, and Wright himself oversaw every aspect of the build. His apprentices used local rocks and wood to help make the structure a natural extension of the surrounding land. Wright continued to make adjustments to Taliesin West until his death in 1959. Today, the complex covers 600 acres and includes Wright’s office, multiple theaters, living and dining space, a workshop and beautiful gardens and terraces, all of which Wright himself designed.

It’s a living monument to the study of architecture. Any visitor to Taliesin West can appreciate, close-up, how one of the greatest architects of the twentieth century incorporated his design aesthetic into his personal home. That alone keeps the complex perpetually relevant. However, it also serves as a main campus for the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture to this day. Students and faculty alike live and work on Taliesin West’s grounds, giving them an intimate view of Wright’s ideals and methods.

Seasonal night tours offer a unique perspective. While a day trip is the most common way to visit Taliesin West, at night it’s one of the most stunning Scottsdale attractions around. Tours take place every Friday night until the end of August, and when the house lights up at night, with the city of Scottsdale twinkling below the mesa, you’ll understand why Taliesin West is considered one of the greatest hidden treasures in all of Arizona.

Whether you’re a student, an artist, a lover of design or just someone who appreciates beautiful aesthetics, you should consider Taliesin West one of the highest-priority Scottsdale attractions. Westbrook’s Phoenix vacation rentals offer easy access to this Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece as well as to plenty of other artistic and cultural landmarks in the Phoenix metro area. Plan your trip today!

Phoenix baseball might not be the first thing that pops into your mind when you’re planning to visit Scottsdale. A day at the ballpark can be a great family treat, though, and there are plenty of Arizona Diamondbacks games remaining on the schedule. There are also a couple of huge football games coming up in mid-September for Phoenix’s two favorite gridiron squads. So grab a giant foam finger and some cash for nachos when you pack your bags for your Scottsdale trip, and make sure to grab tickets for these big games:

D-backs vs. Giants (August 30). It’s been a tough summer for Phoenix baseball. At the beginning of the season, the NL West championship seemed like a reasonable goal. Now the red-hot Dodgers are way ahead in the standings and the D-backs are playing catch-up. But both the division and a wild-card spot are still within reach, so come on out to Chase Field on August 30 to see the D-backs fight for their postseason life. The home fans will be happy to give San Francisco another demoralizing loss, and you can catch a fireworks show by Gila River Casinos.

Sun Devils vs. Badgers (September 14). A non-conference college football game can be a big snooze-fest – that’s just what happens when one team is hopelessly outmatched. Arizona State and Wisconsin are two of the biggest names in college football, though, so this battle at Sun Devil Stadium is for real. The Badgers have made three consecutive BCS Bowls, but this will be one of the first real tests for new head coach Gary Anderson. The Sun Devils, meanwhile, have a chance to shake up the Pac-12 this year with a stingy D led by defensive tackle Will Sutton. Tickets go on sale August 22, but they’ll go fast.

Cardinals vs. Lions (September 15).Arizona’s home opener against the Detroit Lions will answer a lot of lingering questions about the Cardinals. Bruce Arians was named AP NFL Coach of the Year last year, a first-ever for an interim coach. But will the magic continue as he transitions to head coach? Can Carson Palmer be the Pro Bowl QB he used to be, or did the Raiders ruin him for good? Can defensive stud Patrick Peterson help rookie Tyrann Mathieu transition to the pro game, or was Mathieu’s dismissal at LSU a sign of trouble to come? The Cards have their work cut out for them (especially in the revitalized NFC West), but it’s ok to be cautiously optimistic.

Grab these Phoenix baseball and football tickets while you’ve still got a chance – it’s just not a real Scottsdale trip without a Coke in one hand, a hot dog in the other and the crack of the bat before a line drive rockets toward the warning track.

The Southwest is full of local artists who are eager to display their talents, and that’s what makes Scottsdale art galleries a sure highlight of any trip to the Phoenix metro area. There is, however, a lot to choose from. To help you out, we’ve picked out three of the most intriguing displays this August. No vacation in AZ is complete without a tour of the Scottsdale art scene, so be sure to experience our museums and galleries for yourself while you’re here.

ArtWalk the Dog. It’s hard to do everything you want to on vacation when your four-legged friends tag along. But Fido is encouraged to join in at ArtWalk the Dog, a collection of Scottsdale art galleries that host pet-friendly activities every Thursday night in August. Local artists Kelly Bowman and Julia Patterson will showcase their dog portraiture techniques at On the Edge Gallery, and Bob Price will paint a caricature of your dog at Method Art Gallery. The Food Truck Caravan at 5th and Marshall will even have dog treats for sale – not to mention some awesome snacks for bipedal visitors.

Stocked: Contemporary Art From the Grocery Aisles. The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is the only museum in Arizona specifically geared towards modern art, and it tends to host the most provocative and cutting-edge displays in the area. That being the case, an exhibit inspired by consumerism and product placement seems an odd fit for SMoCA. Dig a little deeper into Stocked, though, and you’ll find a nuanced discussion about human psychology, cultural touchstones and, yes, brightly colored boxes. The collection of supermarket-inspired pieces will remain on view at SMoCA until September 1.

The Art of Video Games. Forty years ago, playing a cutting-edge video game meant using pixel-wide paddles to volley a speck of light back and forth. But what a long way we’ve come – the future of digital gaming now seem limitless. The Art of Video Games, at the Phoenix Art Museum until the end of September, uses 80 of the most influential console and computer games to help trace the progression from neighborhood arcades to a multi-billion dollar home entertainment industry. Gaming footage, prints of in-game images and interviews with artists and developers frame an engaging story.

You don’t need to be a fan of dogs, video games or Andy Warhol’s soup cans to enjoy Scottsdale art galleries. These three exhibits are fun for art fans of all types while they’re on vacation in AZ, and there are plenty of other displays in the Phoenix area if our suggestions don’t strike your fancy. Wherever you choose to browse, just make sure to check out the local art scene when you visit Scottsdale. It’s not to be missed!

It’s all too easy to just chill out in the cozy, air-conditioned confines of your condo or rental home when you take a summer vacation in AZ, and when you do venture out in the heat of the day, chances are it’s to a temperature-controlled shopping center, museum or movie theater in downtown Phoenix. Those things are cool and all, but if you don’t get out a bit when you visit Scottsdale in the summertime, you’re not seeing everything the Southwest has to offer! If you avoid the heat like a desert pocket mouse, just check out one of these three family-friendly nighttime adventures instead.

Second Friday in Downtown Mesa. On Friday, August 9, the streets of Mesa will be full of vendors, merchants, music, art, dogs in costumes and kid-friendly activities. Yep, it’s Second Friday, and that means you’re in for a guaranteed good time. Come out to buy some local art, chow down at a food cart or let your kids dance along to a live band. The festivities start at 6 p.m. on Main, between Center and Country Club. See you there!

Movie Night at Goodyear Ballpark. Phoenix baseball is a great nighttime activity when you and your family are on vacation in AZ, but Movie Night isn’t your average night at the park. Stop by the Goodyear Ballpark on Friday, August 16, for a free scoreboard screening of “Rise of the Guardians,” a 2012 animated fantasy film that’ll make you feel like a kid again, no matter what your age. Parking is free, and you can bring in your own snacks or buy a treat at the concession stands. The movie starts at 7 p.m., so get there early if you want the best spot on the outfield grass.

Desert Botanical Garden Flashlight Tours. When the Desert Botanical Garden brags about Scottsdale nightlife, they’re talking owls, nighthawks and tortoises instead of a jazz quartet and a fine scotch. The Garden is open every Thursday and Saturday night in August for night tours, and it’s a fun way to learn about local wildlife. A guide will show you the snakes and scorpions if you’re adventurous, but your family can stick with the night-blooming flowers if you’re not looking for a rush. The desert is a fascinating place, and it really comes to life at night. Bring your own flashlight or buy one in the Garden Shop to make sure you don’t miss a thing!

After-hours fun for the whole family can be one of the big highlights of your vacation in AZ. But even though the temperature drops at night, don’t forget that you’re still in the desert. Make sure the kids stay hydrated during the day when you visit Scottsdale, and you’ll be ready for nights that are just as fun as any daytime adventure!